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Volume 17, Issue 1 (2025)

Summer 2025 Issue

Introduction

Welcome to Volume 17, Issue 1 of the Journal of English Learner Education (JELE). This issue marks an exciting transition for our journal: beginning this year, JELE will publish three times per year in Summer (June 30), Fall (October 30), and Winter (February 28). As submissions and readership have grown, this change allows us to highlight more voices as we explore a wider range of topics, and also helps us to respond more dynamically to evolving needs in the field of English learner education.

This summer issue reflects the richness and diversity of EL research and practice, and it's organized in three focused themes: Foundational Reading and Literacy Practices, Responsive Instructional Frameworks, and Emerging Conversations in the Field. Each piece offers insight into the complex, evolving realities of EL education in classrooms today from early literacy to culturally responsive pedagogy to the role of AI in language instruction.

Theme 1: Foundational Reading and Literacy Practices
Our first two articles address the enduring question of how best to support early reading development among English learners, especially adults and newcomers.

Jose V. Torres opens the issue with The Use of Phonics With Adult ELLs at the Beginner Level, a compelling case for structured literacy approaches in adult education settings.

Caitlyn E. Petrus follows with Why the “Whole Language Approach” to Reading Fails ELL Students & Instructional Strategies to Employ Instead, offering a critical lens on outdated methods and practical alternatives for supporting language and literacy acquisition.

Theme 2: Responsive Instructional Frameworks
Articles 3–7 explore the ways teacher preparation, culturally responsive practices, and research-based instructional design can positively impact English learners in K–12 and higher education.

In Transforming Future Classrooms: Exploring Mainstream Candidates’ Self-Efficacy, Amanda Nelms examines how pre-service teachers develop the confidence to work with diverse learners.

Sandra Johnson, Stephanie Johnson, and Regina Reber present ten actionable strategies in Transforming K–12 Classrooms: Ten Essential Strategies for Cultural Responsiveness, grounded in classroom experience and teacher reflection.

In The Science of Reading, Writing, and Dual and English Language Learners, Vickie Johnston and Nika Verna analyze the intersection of literacy science and EL pedagogy.

Gloria A. Avila and Kristi L. Santi address systemic barriers in Everything is Bigger in Texas: English Learners and the Difficulty within Assessment, Identification, and Program Development.

Also from Texas, Elisa Garcia and Kristi L. Santi present Enhancing Educational Outcomes for English Learners, exploring how professional development and culturally responsive teaching influence student success.

Theme 3: Emerging Conversations in the Field
Our final two articles challenge us to look ahead: to innovations in technology and the emotional dimensions of the learning experience.

Samarnh Pang, Engheang Nol, and Kimkong Heng share Artificial Intelligence (AI) Literacy: A Necessity in Modern Language Education, an early contribution to the growing body of work at the intersection of AI and EL instruction.

Closing the issue, Amar Bahadur Sherma presents Teachers’ Feedback and Students’ Emotional Well-being in Writing Courses, a nuanced look at how feedback practices affect learner identity, motivation, and mental health.

As always, thank you to our contributors for their insight, to our editorial board for their wisdom and guidance, and to you, our readers, for continuing to push the field forward with your inquiry and action, and your overall care and dedication. Here's to a new season of learning!

Warmly,
Laura E. Monroe, PhD
Principal Editorial
Journal of English Learner Education